Chapter Text
Kara is seated at a cubicle in her Supergirl costume staring at a typical pencil pusher hurriedly typing in the numbers. She looked around and saw Clark sitting in another cubicle behind her. He turned around and wave.
“Let me know if you need any help!”
Kara winced, hurriedly turned back around, and slouched in her chair. She looked back at the desk and saw the paper that brought her here. She was being charged $10,000 in property damage to the city while as Supergirl. Clark got the same paper, but he only has to pay $5. Her eyes started glowing red in rage while she gripped the chair. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.
“I hate being jealous, but it isn’t fair! I was supposed to be his defender, not the other way around. I even had military training before coming to Earth, but Clark makes everything here seem so effortless. It just makes me feel….irrelevant.”
It was a sobering thought that had been haunting Kara each day. If she couldn’t serve her purpose, what was she going to do? She was nearly drowning in her sorrows and self-hatred when she felt the office lady’s hand on her arm. She looked up at the lady and saw she had a cheerful disposition. Kara forced the smile back into her eyes and lips.
“I am sorry that I drifted off there….um Connie. Isn’t that your name?”
“Oh, you remember my name!”
Connie’s smile looked so genuine. Kara would have found it cute if this pencil pusher wasn’t about to clear her out of cash. She forced her smile even brighter hoping to charm the pants off this lady to lower the cost down.
“Yes. I try to be good with names as I can. Were you able to find anything that can bring the cost of the bill down?”
Connie’s smile grew dimmer.
“Shit!”
“Well, we can’t lower the cost…”
“Even though this is my first time?” said Kara with a pout on her face.
She wasn’t above groveling. She didn’t have this type of money, and she will be damned if she had to beg Clark for help.
“I know this seems very steep, but when villains and superheroes fight in the city, it causes a lot of property damage. The tax was created to help discourage these types of situations.”
“Even when we are saving the city?”
“If there was no way to get the villain out of the city, there would be little to no charge.”
“Which is what happened in my case.”
Connie’s face fell a little and started twisting her hands.
“Well, not exactly. While fighting Livewire, you took out several buildings before taking her down.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Property could have been saved if you had utilized the fire hydrant and open pool in the area to stop Livewire due to her water vulnerability instead of using brute force.”
Kara slid further in her seat and sighed.
“I could have been more careful, but I was just in a hurry to prove I could do things faster than Clark.”
Kara looked back and saw that Clark had finished his payment and left. She looked back to Connie solemnly and asked, “What can I do now? Is there some type of payment plan I can do since I don’t have that type of money on me?”
Connie smiled a bit and said, “There are tons of options. We have a variety of payment plans, or we have different volunteer opportunities that you can choose to work off the payment.”
Connie passed her the book of all their volunteer opportunities and perused it for a minute. She was bored until one entry caught her attention and brought a smirk to her face.
“I choose this one.”
Kara watched Connie’s face changed at her choice from a smile to a frown instantly.
“Umm, are you sure you want to do this type of work.”
Kara smiled, and said, “Why wouldn’t I want to bring smiles to sick kids in a Children’s Hospital?”
“But…um… it is run by Lena…”
“Luthor. Oh, I am aware. I believe in judging people for their merit and not by association.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
“Oh, I am sure.”
“Me working for the sister of Clark’s greatest enemy. This will so get under his skin.”
Kara laughed wickedly as Connie eyes her warily while signing her up for the volunteer gig.